The Celtic boss’ comments on the Hoops striker should encourage supporters.
Griffiths took a hiatus from football in the first half of this year to deal with off-the-pitch personal problems before returning for the club’s pre-season training.
Despite initial appearances in Lennon’s team his fitness then began to fall short, before injury kept him out for a significant spell.
However, returning to action off the bench against Livingston at the weekend, he’s again primed to make an impact over the coming weeks.
Lennon is certainly feeling hopeful he can reach the required standard.
As quoted by Celtic TV, he said: “If you look after yourself and keep yourself in good condition, you can play for a long time now, the way the modern game is going.
“He certainly has the appetite for it. There is a hunger there to get back in and he really missed playing.
“Hopefully he will get fitter and stronger and have a good run of games now. He needs to do extra work, he needs to stay on top of his condition. He is in reasonable condition now and he is working hard and to make sure he stays fit.”
Provides vital depth
It’s perhaps easy to forget these days but Griffiths was once the main man at Celtic. During the 2015/16 season he scored an outrageous 40 goals in all competitions, which still stands as a remarkable achievement.
That kind of raw goalscoring instinct doesn’t disappear and so he can stall play a crucial role in Lennon’s first-team.
With a busy schedule on the horizon, he could provide relief for Odsonne Edouard, who the Celtic manager won’t want to over expose in case it’s a detriment to his fitness.
Lennon’s comments suggest that’s very much the plan over the short-term. Whether that leads to a long-term presence in the Hoops squad remains to be seen.
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